An Indian student is challenging the value of services from Aotearoa Tertiary Institute. The Institute’s EER report from Dec 2011 is a pretty sorry read.

Policy, Management & People

1. McCutcheon vs Joyce Auckland VC Stuart McCutcheon continued the op-ed jousting match in the NZ Herald with Steven Joyce. He did a pretty good job of rebutting Joyce’s relatively poorly made arguments, but it doesn’t really resolve anything.
2. America Cut Canterbury’s Council has decided to cut its American Studies programme and some Operations Science courses – six roles could be disestablished. The American Studies vote was tied and the Chancellor used a casting vote to cut it, while the Cultural Studies and Theatre and Film Studies votes were won by one vote.
3. New Building Massey’s new Creative Arts building in Wellington is ready to open soon – it’s seismically safe and should be great to work and learn in (Dom Post).
4. Retirement Lincoln’s Prof Andrew Sykes is retiring after 34 years at the Uni – he has some interesting views on the feasibility of reducing methane emissions, but the whole (long) release tells a great story of a career. I’m tempted to run it later today.
5. Profile Nice profile of Auckland’s Julia Gatley, an architecture academic.
6. Dairying A Lincoln dairy farm had a great productivity boost and here’s another release on another farm.
7. Extras: TWOA on China trade trip and smokefree efforts; Christchurch education review; Auckland’s Prof Philip Yock is the brother of the man who invented the jandal; a visit by BOPP’s Anne-Maria Simon to a Chinese fashion school looked interesting; Otago Poly Mosgiel rent issues.

Research & Innovation

1. SpaceX AUT will track re-entry of the SpaceX rocket tonight (APNZ).
2. Farm Climate A Waikato PhD student is assessing how climate change will affect farms.
3. Russian Ballet Auckland’s Davinia Caddy has written a history of the Ballets Russes, a Russian ballet company in Paris around 1900.
4. HIT Lab Canterbury’s Hit Lab is supporting a theatre production and developing a quake simulator to treat PTSD.
5. Extras: NZ Aids Foundation cites Otago Uni research (Gaynz.com); coverage for Massey river centre from RNZ, Rural News and Manawatu Standard; Canterbury’s Aaron Beehre up for book award; AUT research on cricket swing (NZ Herald); Otago Uni early career research awards; gut symposium at Otago Uni; Massey’s Paul Sweetsur on P use.

Public Issues

1. Gwaze Trial Auckland’s Prof Felicity Goodyear-Smith on evidence in the Gwaze case.
2. Defamation Canterbury’s Prof Ursula Cheer on Collins defamation case.
3. Extras: Victoria’s Terence O’Brien on Syria; Waikato’s Robert Isler on R plates; Massey’s Claire Matthews on bank competition.

Students

1. Long Story CPIT’s NASDA gave a concert in Westport to raise money for house sin Mexico.
2. Build a Boat A boating apprentice built his own boat and it looks pretty good.
3. Best Book A Victoria PhD student won an award for his first novel.
4. Flat Man Canterbury’s Flat Man has released a music video – see below.
5. Liquor Ban Debate continues over a Dunedin liquor ban targeted at students.
6. Extras: AUT taekwondo expert; Victoria musician.

Stakeholders

1. Kaumatua Kuisine It’s a nice story at CPIT, so just read it.
2. Jesson Awards Auckland’s Joe Atkinson (NZ City) on the Jesson Awards.
3. Extras: funding sought for Massey aviary; EIT dragged into local sports field satire; Waikato students playing music in Whakatane; NMIT’s Philip Reay on cat poo coffee; Whitireia student supporting Book Design Awards; marmite for neurosurgery.

Teaching & Learning

1. Tanzania Otago Poly nursing students are doing an elective in Tanzania.
2. Extras: CPIT students’ fashion show coming up; student-curated exhibition at Canterbury; Mike Chunn giving advice at UCOL; Catholic Institute adds e-learning.